Happy Vegan Eats & More…

I took this picture back in July and just got around to writing the entry. There’s nothing quite as satisfying as knowing you can go out in your backyard or nearby woods and get enough food to keep you going. On this particular moring I gathered berries, purslane and cherry tomatoes.

If you aren’t familiar with Purslane, it’s a common weed here in Ohio and in most other parts of the country as well. You can find it in gardens, sidewalk cracks and yards. Purslane is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants. Purslane has more beta-carotene than spinach, and contains high levels of magnesium and potassium. Historically it has been used as a remedy for arthritis and inflammation and for respiratory and circulatory function. Recently, it’s been found that purslane has lots of alpha linolenic acid, a type of omega-3 fatty acid. The substances in purslane may help lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels as well as make the blood less likely to form clots. Purslane has only 15 calories per 100 gram portion.

EXERCISE CAUTION: Never eat wild plants unless you are sure of what they are. Take them to an experienced forager or botanist for identification. Some plants can make you very sick or kill you!

Well, the aerogarden is still performing well. Chives have popped up:

As I wrote before the control panel notifies you when it’s time to add nutrients or water. As of now I haven’t had to do either.

I’m loving this Aerogarden so much, I’m thinking of buying another one. They make a set up now where you can use it to grown any seeds you want. I think it will be great for spring seed starting!

Aerogarden and Supplies

A few favorite wildflowers

I have always loved wildflowers but I became interested in identifying and collecting them when I took a spring wildflowers class in college. I enjoyed it so much I took the fall flowers class as well. Hey, it went toward my science minor and it was very enjoyable.

New York Ironweed Vernonia noveboracensis -

Each small floret contains sweet nectar, which makes it a favorite for swallowtail butterflies and other insects. Native Americans may have used the Ironweed root to relieve pain after childbirth. Some species of Ironweed have been used to treat stomach problems.

Goldenrod- Laboratory studies have found that active compounds in goldenrod help reduce inflammation. It was used historically for wound healing. Can be used to make a natural yellow dye.

Orange/Red Trumpetvine (Trumpet Creeper)- This is a beauty! The fresh leaves can be irritating to some people, so it is mostly used dried. Dried plant parts have been used to treat fungus, yeast and tinea infections. If you would want to collect this plant, it is best to wear gloves.

Favorite Garden Flower

This is the Passionflower, my all-time favorite garden perennial. It can be invasive if you don’t keep up with it because it spreads underground and also from seeds. This is a climber that can turn any arbor, fence or trellis into what looks like a tropical getaway. It is hardy here in Ohio, zone 6. It dies back in the winter but returns in spring. By mid-summer the plant can grow very tall. The bright green foliage is covered with gorgeous, scented purple and white flowers that bees just love. After the flower dies, a very interesting seed pod starts to form. I’ll try to get a picture of a pod to show here soon.

Sunflowers- I love all kinds of sunflowers! They’re just so pretty and useful. After the flower dies and the seeds start to form, they make great food for the birds or for people. I like to collect a few seeds for use the following year and leave the rest for my feathered friends. As you can see in the photo above, bees also love sunflowers and I love bees in my garden. Bees make a garden healthy and happy!

I’ve wanted one of these for a very long time and I found one for $70 at a local store. It came with the herb kit. I really want the Aerogarden for growing salads in the winter but I won’t pass on some fresh herbs! I started it up, very easy set up by the way, and within 4 days I already have sprouts, both the basils

Once sprouts come up, you take off the humidity domes so they don’t get too hot.

 

This is the Italian Basil which is supposed to sprout in 3-7 days and sure enough it did. I’m so excited about my Aerogarden!

 

I took off one of the labels so you could get a better look at the sprout

 

The Aerogarden notifies you when it’s time to add nutrients or water.

I’ll keep you posted on the progress of my herbs

Aerogarden and Supplies

I really wanted a greenhouse but I didn’t want to invest a ton of money. So, I went to Ebay and found this great Portable Greenhouse for under $160 (including shipping).

The garden is looking great! All our hard work paid off. This picture was taken July 21st:

The heirloom Brandywine tomatoes I got are doing very well (super tall!) though they don’t have many tomatoes yet. I plan on collecting and storing seeds for planting next year from these heirloom tomatoes. This will be my first attempt at seed collecting/storing/planting so we’ll see how it goes.

I picked these tomato plants up locally and they already have so many green tomatoes for frying:

My indoor tomatoes, which are hanging in the arbor right now are starting to ripen:

I hope they do this well inside this winter.

We have 1 broccoli plant and 1 cabbage plant that I picked up locally jsut to see how they’d do. We also have some onions, carrots and a few pepper plants.

I think I may have the tallest oregano ever! I’m not sure if this picture does it justice or not. The sad thing is that I never even use oregano! So, send me your recipes using oregano. Those with  tomatoes and oregano would be even better. christi@differentdaisy.com

When you have extra spinach laying around or a bag of spring mix that’s about to go bad, use it for this recipe.

You will need:

A can of lentil soup and some spinach

Open a can of lentil soup, you can make it yourself if you feel like working. Put it on the stove, add your spinach and let simmer on low for about 20-30 minutes. 

This is really a great soup. Wuick and easy too! 

Yes, I’m one of those people you see in the middle of the road scooping up a slow turtle for relocation to the country. I picked this little guy/gal up today. It’s so small, about the size of the palm of my hand.

   

Too cute not to take a picture!

 

Gooseberries

For those of you who aren’t familiar with gooseberries, you’re missing out! I had forgotten about this yummy little berry until I was looking for plants online and remembered eating these at my great aunts when I was very young. They’re really like no other berry you’ve ever tried. Tart but unusual. So, I had to order a couple plants for my garden. And, too my delight I already have 3 berries on one plant. Hopefully the birds won’t eat them before I can.

Gooseberries have high nutritional value. They contain vitamins A and C and potassium, and are a good source of fibre.

 

 

Now, it doesn’ t look like I’ll get a big crop of berries this year, but next year look out! I’ll be making this chutney:

Gooseberry Chutney

3 lb gooseberries
1/2 lb onions
1 lb sugar
1/2 pint water
1/2 oz salt
1 tbsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 pint vinegar

Top and tail the berries, and chop roughly. Chop the onions finely and cook with the berries in the water until they are well softened. Add the other ingredients, and simmer until the chutney becomes thick, stirring occasionally. Bottle while hot and cover immediately.

This chutney, yielding about 4.5 lbs becomes more mellow in flavor the longer it is kept.

 SOURCE: http://www.gingerich.com/recipes/gooseberry.html

 

Blueberries, Indoor Tomato Plants & Garden Pics

Oprah Goes Vegan!